Land Rover teams up with Maggie Alphonsi

Ambassador inspires Hitz participants ahead of International Women's Day

Female participants of the rugby inclusion programme, Hitz, were surprised with a special rugby training session by Rugby World Cup winning flanker, Maggie Alphonsi, ahead of International Women’s Day.

Taking place on the hallowed turf of the Twickenham Stoop, the former back-row provided female participants from London Irish, Harlequins, Saracens, and Gloucester Rugby’s programmes with a skills workshop.

The Hitz programme, supported by Land Rover, empowers young girls and boys to make a positive change in their lives and increase their resilience, self-reliance and confidence. This gives them the skills to get back into education, vocational training, apprenticeships and employment.

The TV pundit, and Land Rover ambassador, said: “The Hitz programme empowers young girls through rugby to overcome the social challenges that they face in their everyday lives; it’s about trying to make them more confident, and empower them with life skills to aid their studies and working lives."

“Participants of the programme learn how rugby’s core values can directly apply to real life," Alphonsi added. "I started rugby when I was 14, and it has taught me discipline, respect, enjoyment, teamwork and sportsmanship. If we can pass on these values to the girls, it will help them as they seek to further develop as a person.”